JUPITER, Fla. -- The Mets still plan on having Travis d'Arnaud begin the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. Nevertheless, the top catching prospect remains in major-league camp because the organization believes he will benefit from continued work with the team's pitchers and coaching staff.

Keeping d'Arnaud in camp this late is a risky proposition. If he were to be injured between now and Opening Day, he would begin accumulating major-league service time, which would grant him an extra year of salary arbitration. Nevertheless, after Monday's 3-2 win over the Cardinals, general manager Sandy Alderson said the risk is worth taking.